Who We are

I am a rising Junior at Duke from Raleigh, North Carolina. I am majoring in Classics on the premed route intending to integrate humanities with the sciences! I am involved in research over at the School of Medicine, volunteering at the Duke Hospice Center, as well as a student health policy club. A fun fact about me is that I a fraternal twin brother, who is the complete opposite of me!

I'm a rising senior from Waterville, Maine, and I'm studying biology and global health on the pre-med track. I am particularly interested in marine biology, as well as the intersections between the environment and community health outcomes. I am a certified Wilderness EMT, and I love running, hiking, and reading!

I'm a rising junior from middle of nowhere, PA with dreams to someday work in Emergency Medicine or Surgery. I'm majoring in Cultural Anthropology with a focus on medical anthropology and patient-centered care. In my free time, I enjoy cuddling with my dog, going to the gym, and procrastinating everything and anything.

My name is Kimi, and I am a rising junior studying Biomedical Engineering. I was born in Beijing and lived in 5 different states in the U.S. growing up (Texas, Iowa, Colorado, Arkansas, North Carolina)! I'm excited to be a part of ReMed!

Esosa Ediae is a rising junior from Delaware majoring in Global Health and Biology and pursuing a minor in Spanish. She aspires to work as a medical doctor in communities globally, improving the health outcomes of children and families and demonstrating the love of Christ through quality healthcare. She is currently part of a Bass Connections team that will work with the Children’s Complex Care Coalition of North Carolina to develop transitional care interventions to support families with children with complex health needs. Apart from school, she enjoys playing and watching basketball, reading, spending time outside, and being with her family and friends.

Anna Ghelfi is from Milan, Italy. She is a junior pursuing a major in neuroscience, along with a certificate in digital intelligence and a minor in global health. Within the Imagination and Modal Cognition Lab, she conducts research on subjective awareness and conscious perception. Through Remed, she endeavors to bridge the gap between traditional medical practices and emerging technologies by exploring innovative approaches to healthcare delivery and patient care.

I am a member of the Class of 2025 from Berlin, Connecticut. On campus, I spend my free time serving as co-president of the Duke Medical Ethics Journal, researching cancer therapies as well as the quality of life of cancer survivors, guiding campus tours through Duke Presidential Ambassadors, captaining an intramural volleyball team, and working at Bella Union Cafe as a barista. I am working towards a Biology major (Genetics concentration) in addition to completing Chemistry and Psychology minors. Following graduation, I intend to pursue a Masters in Genetic Counseling and study how best to provide psychosocial support to those affected by genetic disease.

Miranda Harris, from Hillsborough, North Carolina, is a member of the Class of 2025 at Duke University. Through Program II, she designed a major titled: “The Medical and Social Experience of Disability” and is on the pre-med track. She hopes to attend medical school after completing a gap year. In her free time, you can spot her playing piccolo in the band at Duke sporting events.

Hi, my name is Skylar Hughes, and I’m a part of the class of 2025! Atlanta, Georgia, is where I call home, and from my slang to my walk, it’s quite obvious where I grew up. I’m the person who will talk to everyone and is not at all afraid to speak her mind. I am majoring in psychology with a certificate in policy journalism and media studies! I am fascinated with the world of misinformation, and this summer I want to examine how the rise in digital misinformation during the 21st century alters our ability to lead ethical lives.

Hi! I am Marko Jakovljevic, and I am a rising sophomore pursuing a double major in Political Science and Public Policy with a minor in German. I am passionate about ethics, decision-making theory, and international and United States politics. Apart from academics, I am a dedicated rower on the club team and an associate editor of a literary magazine on campus.

It is no secret that the experience of elections in American politics has become a high-stakes and even existential process. As the 2024 elections approach, the ethics of voting and abstaining will become a more pressing conversation. Arguments about why, how, and whether people should vote are as unavoidable in household conversations as in scholarly debate. This summer with the Kenan Summer Fellowship, in my project “The Challenges of Ethical Voting,” I am researching the ethics of voting and whether voting is necessary to live an ethical life. In this project I will be confronted with a wide range of perspectives and questions about the debated importance of voting, the idea of ethical and civic duties, and fundamentally what it means to live in a political order.

Minjee Kim is a first-year from Seoul, South Korea majoring in Public Policy. She became involved with Kenan through their FOCUS program and the Team Kenan Fellowship. At Duke, she is also involved in Mock Trial and the Korean Undergraduate Students Association. When she’s not working or studying, you can find her listening to podcasts, crocheting bags, or rewatching The Good Place.

Victoria Ko is a rising junior (Class of 2026) from San Francisco majoring in Chemistry and Biology and pursuing certification in Science and the Public. She works in the Matsunami Lab on olfactory receptors. After her undergraduate years, she plans to pursue a career in medicine and/or research. In her spare time, she enjoys singing with the Duke Chorale, cheering on the Blue Devils at Duke Basketball games, roaming the beautiful Sarah P. Duke Gardens, and attending various club activities.

Srishti Kumari is a rising senior from Sioux Falls, South Dakota majoring in neuroscience with minors in global health and chemistry. Her academic focus lies primarily at the intersection of neurological disorders and public health, an area where she hopes to bridge the gap as a physician. Beyond the classroom, you can find Srishti pursuing new creative ventures--culinary, cinematic, and otherwise.

Allison Lee is a rising sophomore from Hillsborough, New Jersey, on the pre-dental track. She is always down to discover brunch spots, plan Duke’s campus concerts, and curate playlists for friends. Allison is excited to explore the power of communication in medicine, particularly how language-concordant care can help reduce health inequity. This summer, she will embrace this humanistic perspective as she interns with KinderSmile Foundation abroad in Kenya and Uganda and at their dental home in NJ.

Gracie is a rising senior from Nashville, Tennessee majoring in Biology with minors in creative writing and global health. She is passionate about health equity and how art can reduce inequalities in healthcare. In her free time, Gracie loves reading, writing, playing the bassoon, and mobile games.

My name is Margot Madison, and I am a rising sophomore from Newton, MA, studying Economics and Global Health. In my spare time I enjoy running, cooking, and long walks with podcasts. This summer, with Julia Simon and Elly Ronald, I will be investigating the secularization and commercialization of pilgrimage while on El Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain. We are specifically hoping to investigate the economic, environmental, and social impacts of pilgrims on towns along the route.

Hello! My name is Pranav Mukund, and I am an undergraduate student from Dallas, TX, studying biomedical engineering at Duke! In my free time, I enjoy playing the violin, conducting scientific research, and coaching a local youth basketball team in Durham. In the long term, I would love to practice medicine, run a lab, and stay involved with sports!

I am a junior majoring in Biology with Global Health and Chemistry minors. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, I am interested in addressing oral health disparities as a dentist. I research Goldsboro Hospital, a segregated asylum for Black Patients during the early 20th century. As DukeAfrica co-president, I foster an inclusive and diverse community of African students.

Hi, my name is Elly Ronald and I am a rising sophomore from Mill Valley, California. I plan to study environmental science and visual media studies. In my free time I love to do anything outside, including surfing, rock climbing, and backpacking. I have always been intrigued by how we can more ethically navigate the outdoor world while enjoying it for recreation or other reasons. This summer as my group and I walk one of the routes of El Camino de Santiago, a month-long catholic pilgrimage across Spain, we are investigating ethical cultural tourism as well as the economic, environmental, and social effects of the recent secularization of the pilgrimage on the local towns and people.

Samantha Seewald is a rising senior from Pittsburgh, PA majoring in Biology, minoring in Psychology, and pursuing a certificate in Child Policy Research. She is passionate about community service and is involved in many service-oriented clubs at Duke, including Runway of Dreams (an organization that empowers people with disabilities through fashion), FEMMES+ (an educational outreach program for elementary school students who are underrepresented in STEM fields), and Challah for Hunger (an organization in which students bake and sell challah bread to raise money for charities that fight hunger). Through ReMed, she hopes to learn more about the intersection of healthcare and the humanities, specifically while working with patients who have complex care needs. She looks forward to applying these teachings while working at an Orthodontics practice this summer and in her future career as a dentist.

I am a rising sophomore from Sonoma County, California. In my free time I love spending time exploring the outdoors, running, and going to concerts! I am planning on majoring in both Neuroscience and Philosophy — a path of study that I hope will guide me to a better understanding of individual people and humanity as a whole. This is my primary intellectual interest, and also what I will explore as a Kenan fellow. This summer I will be looking into the secularization of El Camino de Santiago, an ancient Catholic pilgrimage, primarily through a person-centered lens. I hope to gain an understanding of how shifting demographics and modernization impact both the lives of locals and the experiences of pilgrims, and how these effects can be applied broadly.

My name is Divya Srijay, and I am a rising sophomore from Spartanburg, South Carolina interested in majoring in physics and neuroscience. I spend most of my time working on protein design in the programmable biology lab in the BME department, and in my free time, I enjoy playing the cello, reading, and spending time outside!

My project this summer focuses on accessibility to equitable greenspaces. Considering the increasing urgency of preserving natural environments and the prevailing effects of redlining, after learning about the importance of nature in my writing class, Biophilic Cities, understanding how to equitably implement greenspaces entered the forefront of my interests. With the Kenan Summer Fellowship, I plan to discover who isresponsible for attending to this equity- if anyone at all. To do so, I will be interning at Columbia Green, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing access to greenspaces in underserved parts of Columbia, SC, and visiting Singapore, a flagship biophilic city to learn about their approach to the ethics of biophilic design.

Cecelia Wasco is a rising Junior from Neenah, WI majoring in Public Policy, minoring in Chemistry, and pursuing a Human Rights certificate. She researches reproductive health policy in North Carolina and works as an EMT. She is passionate about improving healthcare access through equitable healthcare policy, especially in Latinx and rural communities. She enjoys playing soccer, running, journaling, and hanging out with friends at Mi Gente events.

I am an international student from the UK majoring in Neuroscience with minors in Biology and Chemistry. I love chatting with people and absorbing their wisdom and knowledge. I am also an avid Rugby fan and player and was the president of Duke Club Rugby 2021-2022. Fun fact: I drive a 1990 convertible that is constantly breaking down! But that's the fun of it.

My name is Katherine Wiest, and I'm from Newport, Rhode Island. I am a Biology and Italian major here at Duke, and I am currently working in a lab studying ovarian cancer. In my free time, I work at a preschool here in Durham and would love to work in pediatrics in some capacity in my future as well!

I am a rising senior from Plainsboro, New Jersey majoring in Biology and Global Health with a minor in chemistry. As an aspiring physician, I hope to understand health and wellness from a holistic approach and work towards constructing sustainable solutions that address health disparities in my community. I am also involved with Progress Period on campus in reducing menstrual health inequities and the on-campus science magazine Vertices.

William Yan is a rising junior from Plano, Texas majoring in biology. He was born in Shanghai, China and moved to the US in middle school. He plans to pursue a MD-PhD degree and is interested in translational research, health literacy, and scientific communication. Outside of classroom and lab, William enjoys watching Formula 1, playing basketball with friends, and pingpong. This summer, he will work as a CNA at Hillcrest.

I am a rising junior from Placentia, California, majoring in Psychology and minoring in Medical Sociology. In my free time, I enjoy playing soccer, and, when I’m home, relaxing by the beach. This summer, I will be interning at Los Angeles Christian Health Centers (LACHC), a federally qualified health center in LA County. I will be working on quality improvement, referral follow-ups, and with their Street Medicine team, which brings medical care to patients living on the street. Through my time at LACHC, I hope to better understand how we can sustainably and ethically provide reliable, effective care to communities experiencing housing instability.

Courtney Yribarren is a sophomore at Duke University who is studying topics like global development, ethics, and institutional justice through Duke’s Program II major. Growing up on a family farm in rural California and having run a district-wide campaign for better education, Courtney quickly began to care about how our institutions care for us – or don’t. With the Kenan Summer Fellowship, she's investigating how the Ethics of Care are present in the individual and the organization, and how the ethics of care may be a sustainable framework for preventing burnout in this era. She cares deeply about care ethics, tap dancing, her loved ones, quality tea, and novels that warm the heart. Courtney hopes she can leave this world more caring than she found it.